Still Any Good Surplus Deals?

[MastuhWaffles]

So, as you know there were a lot of really good surplus weapon deals, from the mosin to the cz 82 and some other ones, but I haven't been able to find any other good deals lately. Anyone know of any?

 

[James86]

Depends on what you're looking for and what you consider surplus. I picked up a Zastava M70A for $279. Basically a brand new Tokarev from Serbia chambered in 9mm. They've been getting high marks in most reviews I've seen. Got it from Fleet Farm like my Tantal Sporter. Dunno if they have Fleet Farms in Texas, but up here they seem pretty indicative of what's trending in Milsurp. Mosin Nagants are still fairly available for about $158, and I was surprised to see instead of the usual WASR's they've had sport variants of vz.58s.

Surplus weapons seem to come in waves. One year, I'll see Yugo SKS's at the gun shows, another years it's all Mosin Nagants or Mausers. One show even saw a bunch of PA-63's for quite a bit more than I paid for mine. The milsurp/curio relic bug bit me a few years ago and I tried checking every commbloc country and firearm off the list. Only one I didn't get was a P64 because I got a Tantal (also Polish like the p64) instead.

What do you usually see in your region?

 

[MastuhWaffles]

Mosin's have really gone up in retail, Cabelas just likes to jack up the price to $200. Glad I got mine for $100 though. I saw those pistols, but I think I can pick up a TT-33 or TTC for a little cheaper, there 7.62x25mm. I'd like another German rifle, I have a K98 already, Mauser's aren't that expensive, about $300 for a standard one, and around $500 for a collectors condition. There were the swiss rifles I saw for 100 bucks a while back, but the ammo was really expensive for them, they had a 5 round clip you had to use and they were straight pull.

 

[James86]

I agree on the Mosins. I fondly recall seeing them for $89 at Fleet Farm. I have a TTC and its not bad, but I prefer the M70A because with the longer grip for 9 rnds, it seems to fit my hand better, plus an actual safety is better than that stupid afterthought shit they slap on TTC's to satisfy import restrictions. Around here, 7.62x25 seems to be a little hard to find, but the 9x18 MAK is surprisingly inexspensive and easy to find. The Swiss rifle you're referring to is the Schmidt-Rubin K31 if I recall, isn't it? I remember considering one myself, but ammo issues made me reconsider as well. By 5 round "clip", do you mean the charger clips like a Mauser or Mosin, or are they detachable magazines like Enfields? I've never really picked one up before to look at.

 

[James86]

I suppose I could run thru a few of the "milsurp" stuff I've owned and give my opinion if you're interested:

Mosin Nagant M44: You didn't mention what model you have, but M44's are pretty fun since they're absurdly short which makes for an impressive muzzle flash. The permanent folding bayonet on the side is pretty neat too.

Yugo M48: My favorite Mauser I've owned since it's in almost flawless shape except for some age on the leather sling. Cost me $200. Got home from the show to see "Mitch's Mausers" as the importer and wondered how much some fellow paid for it originally since those Mitch's Mauser's ad's are usually kinda spendy

PA-63: Hungarian service pistol based on the Makarov cartridge, but honestly more of a blatant Walther PP clone. Was my first handgun and I've seen them from $150-$300+. Was fun to shoot, but with the alloy frame and small size, was kinda snappy to me and didn't really fit my hand.

Makarov: This is one I'd always wanted, and it's as fun to shoot as I'd hoped. I like the SA/DA, the decocking safety, and the utter simplicity of it. I don't like the heel-release for the magazine, preferring the regular magazine release button most people are used to.

TTC: The Romanian clone of the Tokarev. My first Tokarev, and I instantly hated that damned slapped on safety. Even in the picture you can tell it was never meant to be there. You can actually remove it without any effect on the gun (other than a lack of safety, but these things were meant to replace revolvers - which don't HAVE safeties) other than having a hole in your frame.

Zastava M70A: My most recent handgun pickup, and my favorite so far. You get the classic look and design, but it's a fairly modern weapon, chambered in 9mm with a proper safety, 9+1 capacity, and a magazine safety, which means you can't pull the trigger when there isn't a mag in it. I wish the safety was also a decocker, but oh well. Surprisingly, I paid about the same exact price for both of my Tokarevs.

I'm not an expert by any means, but do have a keen interest in the old school Soviet stuff since it's so cheap and in my experience seems to go bang every time you pull the trigger if you take care of it.

 

[wildbill23c]

Mosins are definitely not $89 anymore, they're in the $400+ range now, occasionally you can run across one for the $300 range. The whole Surplus deals thing is long gone, people and gun shops that have these guns get them or have had them stored when they were $89 a lot of shops and some people bought them by the crate so now they're trying to price gouge everyone on them of course.

 

[James86]

I know what you mean... the price gouging has gotten absurd. I paid $389 for a Tantal AK74 pattern rifle about a year or so ago. I probably could've doubled my money just parting it out - the wire side-folder stock it came with is well over $100 on its own on some sites. Then you see stuff like a small gun shop outside my town with a sign showing DPMS AR's for $699, so it can be hard to say what a realistic price is these days. It's also thrown an interesting twist into the equation now that so many companies are making new copies of curio-relic stuff, whether it's something like my Zastava Tokarev clone, or the new PPS43c's made in Radom, Poland that are meant to replicate the original PPS43's, but they go and re-engineer it to fire from closed-bolt, weld the stock so it's permanently folded, and import it as a semi-auto "pistol" while keeping it chambered in 7.62x25. I've seen them in the $350~ range at the local shops and the gun shows, but while it keeps the chambering of the original, is made in the same plant as the original, and certainly looks cool....

...You just don't get the historical connection you would with say, a 1943 Mosin Nagant that has likely seen combat, been carried by a soldier fighting for his homeland, and killed Nazis.

 

[James86]

Honestly, the gun that made me drool most was a K43 I saw at the local show one year. $1200, but the thought of a semi-auto in 7.92x57mm seemed badass, plus there are a lot of people who only think of Kar 98k's or Stg44's when it comes to German WWII rifles.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Mosins are definitely not $89 anymore, they're in the $400+ range now, occasionally you can run across one for the $300 range. The whole Surplus deals thing is long gone, people and gun shops that have these guns get them or have had them stored when they were $89 a lot of shops and some people bought them by the crate so now they're trying to price gouge everyone on them of course.

You really need to shop around. Mosins are $170 normal at Cabelas, I just got a flier in the mail this morning they were on sale for $120. They had racks of them there over the weekend. $79-$99 at just about any gunshow...

I have seen "sniper" models at Cabelas in the $500 neighborhood, they were not correct (scope numbers on reciever did not match the scope) but you got a real PU scope and mount with a bent bolt handle.

I got my '43 ex-sniper back when Cabelas first got into them a few years ago on sale for $99, I have had a lot of fun with it.

 

[MastuhWaffles]

Well for me anyways, yea it was the K31, the clip holds the bullets and sits in the gun, and on your fifth round it drop out the bottom. I can't seem to find mosins cheap, Cabela's had them for sale at $150 but now there $200 again, that's just here I guess, I also went to the gun show and there about $170 there. Mitchel's Mauser's are the best deal out there, but at $300 bucks, I'll wait and see if they come down. The PPSH-43 are a dime a dozen at gun shows, but about $600-$750 bucks. As for 9x18Mak, I can't find that anywhere! Yet 7.62x25mm is plentiful and goes for about $60 bucks for 440 rounds in a can. I'd love to have a M44 or M38, but I can't find one under $270. The VZ rifles are about $400 at guns shows, I should have bought one when they were $200. The reality of gun prices is they go up and down, so I may buy one now, and then later the go down in price, or I buy one now and they go up. But I think the best thing to do now is just to wait, most of the prices for surplus arms are not bad, but I think they can get cheaper after a while. Then they will be a steal.

 

[lone-wolf]

Can you guys still get surplus guns that were sent overseas, and have returned?
I forget the program's name, maybe CMP?

Anyways, whatever Obama said, it seems Canada is going to get a bunch of Garands that were supposed to go back to America at one point. At least, I hope we're getting some - they're not in country yet as far as I know.

I'd like to find a Enfield No5 Jungle Carbine in good shape.

 

[wildbill23c]

Well for me anyways, yea it was the K31, the clip holds the bullets and sits in the gun, and on your fifth round it drop out the bottom. I can't seem to find mosins cheap, Cabela's had them for sale at $150 but now there $200 again, that's just here I guess, I also went to the gun show and there about $170 there. Mitchel's Mauser's are the best deal out there, but at $300 bucks, I'll wait and see if they come down. The PPSH-43 are a dime a dozen at gun shows, but about $600-$750 bucks. As for 9x18Mak, I can't find that anywhere! Yet 7.62x25mm is plentiful and goes for about $60 bucks for 440 rounds in a can. I'd love to have a M44 or M38, but I can't find one under $270. The VZ rifles are about $400 at guns shows, I should have bought one when they were $200. The reality of gun prices is they go up and down, so I may buy one now, and then later the go down in price, or I buy one now and they go up. But I think the best thing to do now is just to wait, most of the prices for surplus arms are not bad, but I think they can get cheaper after a while. Then they will be a steal.

It depends on where you live on prices, here in Idaho people want to rip everyone off every chance they get, but they want stuff for nothing in return. I've seen these Mosins over $500 just plain ones, not even the sniper versions. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for one anyhow, plus with the cost of ammo they're pretty pointless.

I wouldn't mind getting one if the price was right, but with the price gouging going on because everyone being so worried about these gun bans its only going to get worse. These won't be the guns that are banned the ones that will be banned will be all of the black ones. So these old wood stock rifles will be fine, however don't tell the anti-gun people that LOL.

I've been watching around for some deals but have not found any. My last great deal was a Yugo SKS with a tactical M-4 style collapsible stock and still had the bayonet and the grenade launcher sights in tact. I got it at Cabelas for $140 and a couple boxes of ammo, so I think it was like $120 range for the rifle itself. That same rifle now is in the $300 neighborhood. Should have kept it but needed money more than the gun.

I really wish these companies would stop gouging everyone, course if everyone would stop buying this stuff that is outrageously priced it would help.

 

[MastuhWaffles]

All this gun ban talk is just a excuse to jack up the prices. I don't think our guns will ever get taken away, because people would not have that, and it would be a civil war. But ya never know, now that I'm in school I don't have the time to be snooping around for good deals, or buying up weapons. I do get ammo when I can find it, usually it's on the shelves now but sometimes it's all gone. I feel like companies are just holding back the ammo, so the prices go up. But when I can find a good deal on a surplus weapon I usually check it out and pick it up, because all the ones I have now are double their value.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It depends on where you live on prices, here in Idaho people want to rip everyone off every chance they get, but they want stuff for nothing in return. I've seen these Mosins over $500 just plain ones, not even the sniper versions. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for one anyhow, plus with the cost of ammo they're pretty pointless.

$9.99-$12.99 box/20 isn't too bad, that is FMJ, SP for hunting is closer to $1 for 20 which still isn't too bad. That is new over the counter stuff, surplus is cheaper yet.

The neat thing is during the last scare when you couldn't find ammo Cabelas had about half their ammo section stocked with it so it didn't look pitifully empty. Everybody else was fussing cause they couldn't find anything and they had an easy pickup load of 7.62x54r on display.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It depends on where you live on prices, here in Idaho people want to rip everyone off every chance they get, but they want stuff for nothing in return. I've seen these Mosins over $500 just plain ones, not even the sniper versions. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for one anyhow, plus with the cost of ammo they're pretty pointless.

$9.99-$12.99 box/20 isn't too bad, that is FMJ, SP for hunting is closer to $15 for 20 which still isn't too bad. Easily under $20 a box. That is new over the counter stuff, surplus is cheaper yet.

It doesn't take much to get pricier ammo for my 30-06...

The neat thing is during the last scare when you couldn't find ammo Cabelas had about half their ammo section stocked with it so it didn't look pitifully empty. Everybody else was fussing cause they couldn't find anything (tactical stuff was gone, normal hunting stuff was really thin) and they had an easy pickup load of 7.62x54r on display.